"But Mom, All My Friends Have One!" What's a Parent to Do? Try This! by Ann Marie G. Halstead

Are you sick of hearing, “But Mom, all my friends have one!”? We’ve been hearing a lot of that lately from our 5th grader, whose wish list includes an iPad and new gaming system. While this can be frustrating for parents, look on the bright side: your response can be an opportunity to discuss your priorities and values as a family.

In our home we’ve tried to explain that what works for some families doesn’t work for others, and what is a big priority in some households is a lower priority in others. This goes for all sorts of things, of course, not just technology. Explaining this has helped our son to understand why we’re not ready to give him any more technology than he already has, at least not yet. He hasn’t promised not to bug us anymore, but it’s a start.